Molestation of 2 Manipuri Girls in Delhi on Dec 13 2008
- PR from MSAD -

Delhi , 16 December 2008

Manipur Students' Association Delhi (MSAD) shares the pain and trauma of two women from Manipur who were ruthlessly molested; deliberately dragged and confined in several secluded rooms in an attempt to rape; looted of money, purse and digital camera; brutally thrashed and kicked upon by a gang of landlord and hooligans hired by the landlords in the wee hour of the early morning of 13 December 2008 at Sikandrapur, DLF Phase-1, Gurgaon, Delhi. (Read news about this here and here. )

Miss Lucy (name changed) had arrived at Gurgaon on 11 December in search of Job. She was sleeping with her friend Miss Grace (name changed) when at around 2.30 a.m. of 13 December, the landlord knocked at the door. Lucy suspected the intention and refused to open the door. The landlord kept on repeatedly banging at the door and abused them for the delay in letting him in. The women pleaded for mercy and appealed to meet him in the morning. The landlord was adamant. His intension to sneak through the room became clearer. Both Lucy and Grace were thrilled with fear. They tried to contact police at No. 100. Since there was no response from the police, Lucy raised an alarm for her Manipuri friends who lived in a nearby building. Her friends responded to the alarm. As soon as they reached at the scene an altercation with the culprit was ensued. It resulted into a scuffle. The landlord along with a gang of local hooligans thrashed Lucy's friend and chased them away. They then broke the door open and entered into the room. They abused Lucy and friend in the most uncivilised languages for having raised an alarm, forced them to pack up their luggage and vacate the room immediately, kicked at them and thrashed them with rod repeatedly. They were forced apart, took to different directions, beaten up severely, threatened with rape and confined to secluded rooms. The women of the family got up on hearing hue & cry by the two helpless victims. They however did not rescue the victims. Instead, they helped the culprits in confining Lucy to a secluded room. When the police arrived at the scene, the women in an attempt to conceal facts misinformed the police with the most disgusting lies and allegations against the victims. Lucy, however, got escaped and rushed towards the police van. Police took both the victims to the police station and later on admitted to a hospital. The victims later on discovered their luggage totally dismantled and their money, purse and digital camera were missing.

The injury mark

The unethical and barbaric attitude of the women of the family of the landlord who refused to raise alarm in rescue of the victims but have, instead, misinformed police and assisted the culprits to escape scot-free, raises questions against moral chastity and sincerity of the Indian women against the political voice that have been on the raise for defending the modesty of their gender. Any honourable & respected women of civilised society would not be pleased with the most disgusting character of harassing a pair of helpless women in the most brutal manner ever exhibited by a gang of criminals inebriated with lust and intension of robbery. Even an immoral would have never tolerated it. But the Indian women of 13 December have exposed the moral standard hidden in the darkness of their civilizational ethos. And we feel the pain of it.

Official apathy and negligence illustrated by the concerned OC (Delhi Police) in refusing to register the case under the Prevention of SC/ST Atrocity Act 1995, Molestation, Sexual Harassment and Robbery invoke our concern for an unabated Indian racism towards the Northeast people vehemently institutionalised by law enforcing agencies (e.g., Indian army & paramilitary forces in the Northeast and police in the Indian metropolitan cities). While our fundamental rights in the home state remain suspended in the name of upholding India's national security – e.g., atrocities committed with impunity under the provision of draconian AFSPA – Manipuri emigrants in Indian metropolitan cities in search of job and for education are denied of justice in several cases. Should we be selectively pointed out and discriminated in such manner because we have become part of the Indian subcontinent? Are we meant to be governed permanently in such humiliating manner?

The forging attitude of ordering community of peoples into layers of social hierarchy will not let the sub-continent march towards peaceful solution to the crisis & conflict that were the result of institutionalised subjection, oppression and discrimination. Locating us at the bottom of social hierarchy and dehumanising us with all forms of disgrace, insult, atrocities and profiteering obviously make us doubtful of our citizenship in India. It leads us to retrospect our past, introspect our present and sought for a progressive future either within or beyond India. Should we migrate to Indian cities only to be subjected & insulted and used as commodity by the profiteering Indian entrepreneurs and landlords? Should we not address the issue of toying as under a typical imperial hype of the Indian hooligans and law enforcing agencies who misbehave against our dignity and sense of humanity? Should we not protest to defend our fundamental rights and honour & dignity?

MSAD strongly condemns:

• The barbaric manner of the criminals who do not live upto the moral standard and dignity expected by any civilised society
• The intention of the women of the family who disgrace the modesty of their gender and have shown patronage towards crime against women
• The concerned officials of Delhi Police –public servants assigned with the responsibility of enforcing law & order –but, in practice, have expressed official lacunae in mishandling the case.

MSAD calls upon the Northeast people and progressive parties, organisations and individuals in India to collectively share the pain of the victims of the crime and initiate towards:

• Delivering justice to the victims
• Punishment of the criminals with deserving penalty for the crimes mentioned above
• Teaching of an appropriate lesson to the concerned women who shows disrespect to the modesty of their gender
• Punishment of the guilty personnel (Delhi Police) who shows apathy and negligence towards the victims

Sd/-
Human Rights Committee, MSAD
Women Committee, MSAD
Dated: Delhi 16th December 2008

For information on protest against the incident please contact MSAD at:
+91 9718059321, +919990970658, +919891270695
MSAD e-mail address: msad(dot)manipur(at)gmail(dot)com

See the photos of the injury marks at MSAD Gallery (Warning: Disturbing photos; discretion required) here.

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This PR was sent by Malem Ningthouja, Chairperson, Election Committee, Manipur Students' Association Delhi . He can be contacted at mningthouja(at)yahoo(dot)com
This was webcasted on December 16 2008.

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